Where's my camera?
by Sly Raccoon
Summary: This is before Annabeth and Percy have gotten together and yeah.


Annabeth had just asked me to take a walk in the woods with her. You know your everyday walk in a monster infested wood with your best friend who you also happen to be in love with.  
We walked for a while with small chit chat that probably would seem like a normal relaxed conversation with a friend but on the inside butterflies wreaked havoc in my stomach. Annabeth and I hung out a lot but she's never suggested the woods before. The woods were close, private.  
"You're probably wondering why I asked you to come to the woods." She said stopping in a small clearing by the remainders of Zeus' fist.  
Um yeah, I might have wondered at some point. Vaguely, very vaguely.  
"Uh..." I mumbled.  
"I wanted to be alone, for once ya know?" She continued whilst twiddling with her hair. She wanted to be alone with me? I feared I would start hyperventilating.  
"Annabeth, I know you. You have something to say." I sighed. She grinned ruefully at me.  
"Percy..." She literally bubbled with excitement. "My dad got a job offer. A really good one –"  
"That's great!" I said.  
"-In Greece!" My heart thudded in my chest so loudly I'm sure she must have heard.  
"It's a really good job and there's so much amazing architecture!" She babbled excitedly.  
"Yeah, great." I said unenthusiastically. Her expression fell.  
"What's wrong Percy? I thought you'd be happy, excited for me." Her big grey eyes pleaded with me. "You know I've always wanted to go to Greece-"  
"To see the Parthenon, yeah I know." I cut her off. "But couldn't you just go and visit it?"  
"Percy! No, I couldn't. This is my family I'm talking about here."  
"Oh so what are we? What about Thalia and Grover and Nico and... And me! Aren't we your family too?"  
"Yes but I can't just leave my dad Percy."  
"You've done it before!" Aw Hades, that wasn't nice. That was way below the belt. Her eyes filled with tears.  
"Yes and it was you who convinced me not to just give up on my family!" Touché Annabeth, touché.  
"We are your family!" I shouted.  
"I can do what I want Percy!" She shouted back.  
"So you're just gonna leave? Without talking through it with me?" I glared at her. It just slipped out.  
"I can make my own choices Percy!" She said indignantly. Why was she so damn stubborn!  
"Ugh, I know that! But do you think it's wise?" I tried a different tactic.  
"Don't even try talking to me about wisdom! Why wouldn't it be?"  
"Uh... Monsters! Monsters will hunt you down!" Haha! Take that Wise Girl!  
"I can handle myself, or do you need me to show you? I know you're invincible but I can still kick your butt!" And she was right but there was no way I letting her know that. It still made me angry though, how she was always right. BUT NOT ABOUT THIS!  
"You're the only one smart enough-" Anger was boiling inside me threatening to overspill.  
"There are other Athena kids here. They're smart enough." She dismissed.  
"What about Chiron? He practically raised you! You're like a daughter to him!" Another low blow, I know but I'm desperate.  
"Oh he's fine with it. He encouraged it! Unlike you!" Her eyes flashed with more hurt.  
"You shouldn't go! It's stupid and reckless and you're needed for battle strategy."  
"It's nice to know I'm _needed_." She said bitterly. What in Hades... She knew she was needed. "Nice to know that I'm stupid! Percy, you're supposed to be my best friend. I thought you would be happy for me! WHY ARE YOU BEING LIKE THIS?!"  
"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU AND _I NEED YOU." _ I froze. That wasn't meant to come out.  
"You... What?" She whispered.  
"You heard." I said bitterly turning away. All of a sudden she strode forward and grabbed my shirt and yanked on it hard.  
"Hey- wha-" I turned my head confused and was cut off by her lips crushing mine. Emotions started rolling around in my like the sweets inside a piñata. My arms snaked around her waist as I pulled her close to me. Suddenly she pulled away gasping.  
"Guess you've figured I love you too." She laughed.  
"You do?" I my heart which had been residing in my feet during the fight suddenly soared and I felt dizzy.  
"Yes Seaweed Brain I do."  
"Oh, because I thought you were just trying to console me." I teased but inside I was exploding with giddy happiness just like the piñata.  
"I'll show you consoling!" She growled as her hands slipped from my chest to my around neck. She continued to pull us back until she bumped into Zeus' fist. We barely even noticed. The kiss deepened and I could barely form a coherent thought.  
"Hey Perce! That boulder a good kisser?" Travis asked behind me.  
"I mean we know you're desperate but... A rock?" Conner added. I realised that from their point of view they couldn't see Annabeth. I sighed.  
"We've been going out for like ten minutes and they already know." I rolled my eyes.  
"Ugh, I picked the wood because I thought no one would come here!" Annabeth moaned. I chuckled as she rested her head against my chest.  
"Percy you seen Annabeth?" Katie's voice asked.  
"Yeah, you could say that." Annabeth giggled. I turned with one arm around her waist and see the shocked expressions of Travis, Conner and Katie.  
"Why are you guys here?" It came out ruder than I meant to. But I didn't really care.  
"Uh... Chiron wanted us to find Annabeth." Conner managed to say.  
"Well you've found me, now what?" Annabeth said suppressing a laugh.  
"Yeah, you... um... need to come with us." Annabeth and I shared a confused look.  
"Boys you make it sound like she's in trouble! C'mon let's go." Katie said giving us a happy shocked look. I took Annabeth's hand as we walked.  
Katie gave us a smug expression. "It's about time you guys got together." She said pinning us with a look. I glanced at Annabeth. "So how did you two get together?" She prompted.  
"Oh no. We're not telling." Annabeth blushed.  
"Please!" Katie begged.  
"Oh gods, no way!" I blushed along with Annabeth.  
"That embarrassing huh?" Conner asked innocently.  
"So embarrassing that you'd never want us to know?" Travis continued just as innocently. Annabeth and I shared a look. What were they getting at?  
"None of your business. Why does Chiron want me?" Annabeth asked as they lead us to the Amphitheatre.  
"You'll see." Katie said as we turned a corner and then saw a huge banner that read "Goodbye Annabeth! Good luck!"  
I sucked in a breath. I turned away from Annabeth, pulling my hand from hers. What now? She was still leaving and there was nothing I could do about it.  
"Percy..." She said.  
"Annabeth!" Thalia yelled. "Look! There's a cake!"  
"Thanks you guys." She said walking towards them.  
"Conner, Travis go get the video." Chiron said.  
"Sure we'll go get _a video._" They said slyly and ran off.  
"What video?" Annabeth asked. Chiron smiled widely.  
"Your goodbye video!" Chiron said as if it should be obvious.  
"Guys... I... I..." Annabeth stuttered.  
"I... I think you're all amazing! I love you all so much! Thank you all _so_ much!" Thalia finished for her.  
"No... Well yes but no."  
"Well that's helpful." Nico said rolling his eyes.  
"Guys! I just... Well..."  
"What is it already?" Grover asked impatiently.  
"I'm not going anymore." Silence. I turned to look at her my breath catching in my throat.  
"Why not child?" Chiron asked gently. Everyone was staring at her except for Thalia whose eyes darted between me and Annabeth.  
"It's just well..." Annabeth glanced at me for help but I was in shock, just staring at her. Thalia seemed to suss it out.  
"If it's because _someone_ who should be a _friend_ doesn't think it's a good idea for their own _selfish _reasons-"  
"No, it was my idea. I can't leave you guys. You're my family, and monsters! They'll hunt me. And I'm needed." She said with a smile in my direction. A small laugh escaped me.  
"We have the video!" Travis yelled as he and Conner ran in.  
"Annabeth has decided to stay." Chiron informed them.  
"Well we can still watch the video right?" Conner said with the same innocent voice as before. Everyone looked at Annabeth.  
"Sure." She said. Everyone went to sit down and I slyly sat next to her with Thalia on her other side and Grover and Nico on mine. Conner and Travis set up the video and then went to go sit down.  
The screen showed the woods and I wondered why they would be filming here. Suddenly Annabeth and I appeared walking side by side.  
_"You're probably wondering why I asked you to come to the woods." Annabeth said.  
_"NO!" Annabeth and I yelled at the same time getting up to turn off the video. Thalia and Nico instinctively held us back.  
"Noo." I moaned to Annabeth.  
"You two are so dead." Annabeth said and we both gave them our death stares. Their evil grins disappeared immediately but then they said "Totally worth it."  
_"Uh..." I mumbled.  
"I wanted to be alone, for once ya know?" She continued whilst twiddling with her hair.  
_"You wanted to be alone huh?" Thalia asked.  
"Shut up." Annabeth said burying her face in her hands. I automatically put an arm around her but no one noticed.  
_"Annabeth, I know you. You have something to say." I sighed. She grinned ruefully at me.  
"Percy..." She literally bubbled with excitement. "My dad got a job offer. A really good one –"  
"That's great!" I said.  
"-In Greece!" My heart thudded in my chest so loudly I'm sure she must have heard.  
"It's a really good job and there's so much amazing architecture!" She babbled excitedly.  
"Yeah, great." I said unenthusiastically_.  
"Oooh! Someone's not happy!" Nico sang.  
I glared at him.  
_"What's wrong Percy? I thought you'd be happy, excited for me." Her big grey eyes pleaded with me. "You know I've always wanted to go to Greece-"  
"To see the Parthenon, yeah I know." I cut her off. "But couldn't you just go and visit it?"  
"Percy! No, I couldn't. This is my family I'm talking about here."  
"Oh so what are we? What about Thalia and Grover and Nico and... And me! Aren't we your family too?"  
_"Hey! I'm mentioned!" Nico said happily all he got was a "SHH!" _  
"Yes but I can't just leave my dad Percy."  
"You've done it before!"  
_"Percy that was a low blow." Grover frowned at me.  
"I know I'm sorry." I said. Annabeth smiled at me.  
"I know, and it's OK. I know why know." I smiled gratefully at her. _  
"Yes and it was you who convinced me not to just give up on my family!" Touché Annabeth, touché.  
_"Touché Annabeth, touché." Travis smiled getting into it. _  
"We are your family!" I shouted.  
"I can do what I want Percy!" She shouted back.  
"So you're just gonna leave? Without talking through it with me?" I glared at her.  
"I can make my own choices Percy!" She said indignantly.  
"Ugh, I know that! But do you think it's wise?" I tried a different tactic.  
_"Really Percy?" Thalia shook her head. Even though they were talking to us all eyes were glued on the screen. _  
"Don't even try talking to me about wisdom! Why wouldn't it be?"  
"Uh... Monsters! Monsters will hunt you down!"  
_"Aren't these the reasons Annabeth said to us?" Conner asked but got no reply. _  
"I can handle myself, or do you need me to show you? I know you're invincible but I can still kick your butt!"  
"You're the only one smart enough-"  
_The Athena kids frowned but then realised it was kind of true. _  
"There are other Athena kids here. They're smart enough." She dismissed.  
_"Smart enough?" Malcolm frowned. _  
"What about Chiron? He practically raised you! You're like a daughter to him!"  
"Oh he's fine with it. He encouraged it! Unlike you!" Her eyes flashed with more hurt.  
"You shouldn't go! It's stupid and reckless and you're needed for battle strategy."  
"It's nice to know I'm needed." She said bitterly. "Nice to know that I'm stupid! Percy, you're supposed to be my best friend. I thought you would be happy for me! WHY ARE YOU BEING LIKE THIS?!"  
"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU AND I NEED YOU." _  
Everyone turned to look at me shocked. I buried my face in Annabeth's neck as she stroked my hair.  
"I love you too." She whispered but everyone heard anyway in the silent arena.  
"AWWWWWWW!" The whole Aphrodite cabin squealed.  
"_You... What?" She whispered._  
"He said he loved you Annabeth!" An Aphrodite girl squealed.  
_"You heard." I said bitterly turning away. All of a sudden she strode forward and grabbed my shirt and yanked on it hard.  
"Hey- wha-" I turned my head confused and was cut off by her lips crushing mine.  
_Somebody wolf whistled and the Aphrodite cabin squealed again. _  
My arms snaked around her waist as I pulled her close to me. Suddenly she pulled away gasping.  
_"Way to go Perce!" Travis pumped his fist. _  
"Guess you've figured I love you too." She laughed.  
"You do?"  
_"Well duh." Thalia laughed. _  
"Yes Seaweed Brain I do."  
"Oh, because I thought you were just trying to console me." I teased.  
"I'll show you consoling!" She growled as her hands slipped from my chest to my around neck.  
_"Whoa! Children present!" Thalia said covering Nico's eyes.  
"Hey" He said pulling away. _  
She continued to pull us back until she bumped into Zeus' fist. We barely even noticed. The kiss deepened and I could barely form a coherent thought.  
_"Whoa guys get a room!" Conner said.  
"Get a girlfriend." I smirked.  
_"Hey Perce! That boulder a good kisser?" Travis asked.  
_Everyone laughed.  
_"I mean we know you're desperate but... A rock?" Conner added.  
_More laughs. _  
I sighed.  
"We've been going out for like ten minutes and they already know." I rolled my eyes.  
"Ugh, I picked the wood because I thought no one would come here!" Annabeth moaned. I chuckled as she rested her head against my chest.  
"Percy you seen Annabeth?" Katie's voice asked.  
"Yeah, you could say that." Annabeth giggled.  
_And everyone laughed along with her. _  
I turned with one arm around her waist and see the shocked expressions of Travis, Conner and Katie.  
_At this point Travis got up and turned off the VCR. "And now you know why Annabeth isn't going anywhere." He laughed. Everyone joined in but Annabeth looked up at me seriously.  
"No I'm not." I smiled at her and bent my head to kiss her.  
"EEEW! We just saw that on screen!"  
"AWW!"  
"Get a room!"  
"Adorable!"  
"Children present!"  
"No need for a repeat!"  
"Where's my camera?"  
Was heard but we ignored them.  
"Now to tell my dad." She moaned.  
"Don't worry! We can just send him the video!" Travis and Conner yelled. Annabeth and I shared a look.  
"NO!" We shouted as we got up to chase them.


End file.
